Notes / Commercial Description:
Too many strive towards complacency as a goal. We grow up thinking that the ability to become complacent is the equivalence of success in life. True Arrogant Bastards know that this could not be further from the truth. The real beauty, richness and depth in life can only be found if the journey through life itself is looked upon as a constant chance to learn, live and find life’s passion. Passion threatens the complacent, and fills them with fear. We, on the other hand, seek it out. To this end we bring you OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale. Another reward for those seeking new sources of passion, and another point of dissension for those who are not.

this beer drinks much like the reg arrogant bastard. overall a really nice .smooth with just a hint of oak but not necessarily a step up from the original.the oaked version seems to age better than the original.

Bitterness and smokiness, nice and easy to drink. Dark amber/ brown, aroma of wood chips, peat, Taste is mildly sweet up front, with bitterness on the backside.. High ABV masked by the smoky bitterness.

Served in a snifter, it pours a clear copper with ruby glare, no head formed in this one.

The bouquet is of caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, a hint of cherry and raisin, spicy hoppiness, and a very slight presence of oak. Of the Arrogant Bastard family this is the one with the most shy bouquet, though it is still assertive.

This is by far the most subtle of the Bastards. That aggressiveness in the flavors is not present here, and the sweet and bitter spikes also lack. That is not say that this beer is flavorless or dull, at all.
Upfront you get humble sweet notes of caramel, malts and booze. Almost at the same time, a subdued bitter note enters, and it quickly gains prominence until it overcomes completely that initial sweetness and it becomes clear that it is oak what we are talking about. A raw wood flavor.
The aftertaste is mostly bitter with that same oak note. A subdued vanilla note is present all throughout.
This Bastard leaves your palate coated in a pleasant bitterness and a subdued sweetness.
Medium body, slightly silky and smooth.

Taste - not what I expected! Starts with strong herbal hops and strong oak, hops are nearly astringent, flavors of basil and even a hint of dried mint leaf, oak is very woody and wet, there are just hints of the sweet plum and dark toffee struggling in the background, but darkened toffee quickly comes forward with a light roastiness that joins the herbal hops and oak. Finish is strong oak and herbal hops that nearly pucker.

Mouthfeel - nearly medium, as carb is definitely on the lower side allowing the oak and herbs to dominate the palate. Very smooth and almost creamy, but the hop and oak assault make you think otherwise. Astringent finish.

Overall - i love arrogant bastard and double bastard - and this one is good too, but I want to try another bottle to make sure. I do enjoy this beer, quite a bit, but the bastard caught me off guard with the intensity of hops and barrel - not a bad thing, I'm enjoying it for sure, but want one more just for comparison. Buy it if you can, make sure it is fresh, mine was at 4 months, and will try again fresh.

Aroma: Prominent notes of sweet malt, somewhat earthy and herbal hops and prominent oak notes. There is a prominent undercurrent of sweet and spicy alcohol.

Taste: Opens with strong toasted and caramel malts, soon followed by strong herbal hops and sweet alcohol. The oak barrels contribute prominent and strong earthy, wood-infused flavors. The sweet alcohol lingers throughout, and along with the oak, forms the backbone of the taste. Finishes with a persistent, lingering earthy hop note.

Mouth feel: Smooth and full, very soft, with faint carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: A rich and elegant beer, to be consumed with reverence.

Presentation: Packaged in a twenty-two ounce brown glass bomber with a pry-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

650 mL bottle included in the Bastard Box that hit LCBOs last month. Bottled Oct 8 2015 and best enjoyed by Jan 7 2016. Served slightly chilled.

Looks a lot like standard Bastard - foggy copper-amber hue with brick red highlights, and equipped with a nearly one-inch crown of creamy, buff-coloured head. Great retention; it lasts the better part of ten minutes before receding completely, coating the glass with a messy layer of lacing as it steadily creeps ever downward. A lumpy cap and generous collar survive afterwards. Looks perfect to me, but the aroma is comparatively humble - light notes of buttery oak and vanilla come through, with the remainder being a toned-down derivative of the base beer. Bready, toasty malt and toffee/caramel sweetness, with additional notes of pine resin, citrus and dried orchard fruit.

This strong ale has a familiar backbone consisting of lightly toasted bready malts and toffee sweetness, combining with a hint of prune fruitiness. The hops rush in on the back end, providing that intense bitterness you've come to expect from this brand: oily pine resin and pithy grapefruit citrus. Finishes with floral notes, ethanol and woody oak chip flavours that dry the palate out almost completely, leaving an astringent feeling on the tongue. Medium-bodied, with middling carbonation levels that gently prickle the palate, resulting in a relatively soft, creamy mouthfeel.

Final Grade: 4.27, a high A-. Oaked Arrogant Bastard is more of a sideways step than a forward one - it's a very nice beer, but IMO I'm not sure if the oak chips really improved it much. The relentless resiny bitterness and bold grapefruit citrus flavours are still there, as is the equally-sturdy malt backbone. The oak chips serve mostly to dry the finish out considerably, playing mostly a supporting role in the flavour profile itself. I encourage everyone who enjoyed the standard Bastard to give this one a shot, as it's certainly a good variant on a rock-solid theme.

If you have seen my review for AB...well here you go for the Oaked version (from the Bastard Box).

This is identical to AB in a lot of ways except for flavor. Seriously,a seasoned palate is best to break this one down. It is AB, but the tannins from the oak amplify the bitterness. But, wait! There is more! The char and oak contribute a level of smokiness and booziness (perhaps bourbon?) that meet the base recipe of AB that I am having trouble putting into words--at the very least, it is incredibly enjoyable. Any person who has cut their teeth on Bourbon or IPA's will appreciate the subtle complexities here.

Last Words: This is downright delicious! I still think AB is a better QPR, but the oak treatment here makes this a better beer. So smooth, so complex, and downright Arrogant. Sounds like friend I'd like to know!

o: the stone bastard box recently came to the LCBO. i had the arrogant bastard last week and wasn't too happy with it. it just felt over-aggressive and not pleasant, with subdued hop fruitiness and amplified bitterness (okay, maybe that's what stone was aiming for). of course, this could be a freshness issue. seems to be the case with this beer too. i'm quite disappointed with the nearly non-existent oak flavour. not sure how to feel about the double bastard and depth-charged double bastard sitting in my cellar now...

This stuff pours beautifully, a deep mahogany ruby brown with a fluffy vanilla head. Very subtle aroma but then you taste it and the typical Bastard flavor is right there but wait - there's a very unique woody presence that is really soothing. This is a non typical Bastard, malty with I guess I'd say a bourbon note. Leaves you wanting another. PLEASE make more!

Mostly clear ruby-brown, off-white velvet head, plenty of lace. Aroma is pretty muted; wood, mild butter, some toasty malt, half-assed pine resin hops. Flavor is akin to a barleywine; warm caramel malt, oak, light vanilla, balancing bitterness but only mild actual hop flavor. Warm, veering towards a cloying richness but just not powerful enough to get there. Rich mouthfeel, muted carbonation, full body.
Quite different from the rest of the AB family. This was... calm. Tasty, but not big, aggressive, intense, or anything else along those lines. The wood masked a lot of the hop presence and even some of the malt, without adding much itself. Good beer, but a letdown compared to its kinsmen and my expectations of face melting.

Wow, what a job the oak chips do here. I've always liked AB ale, but I always thought it was a little harsh on the aftertaste. The oak totally mellows everything. Highly drinkable and great overall balance.

22oz from "Bastard Box" poured into a nonic pint.
I didn't think Arrogant Bastard could get any better. The oak mellows it a bit and makes it percect winter sipper. I hope they make the Bastard Box a part of their annual releases.

Pours looking just like the regular ABA. Aroma yield some oak, a nice addition, compliments the Chinook hops. Taste, solid, what this adds is a dry tannin vibe from the oak, in addition to the heft that this beer always has, its a welcome changeup. Wouldn't mind drinking this, the bourbon and the regular version in a row.

Pours a beautiful deep garnet with a two finger beige head. Aroma is oak, sweet and toasted malt, citrus, bitterness. Taste follows with oak, pine, earth, toasted malt, huge bitterness, with just the edge taken off by the sweetness and woody nutiness of the oak. Mouthfeel is medium and perfect for this beer. Overall, just a terrific beverage and my favorite iteration of the bastard family, could drink this every week.

This beer pours a very dark amber almost bordering on brown. The head is one finger high and off white/khaki colored. It has ecxellent retention amd leaves very good lacing. The smell is oak, sweet and bready malts and some citrus hops. Taste is the same with a huge amount of bitterness and complexity, almost no alcohol to speak of. Feel is medium and oily with decent carbonation. Overall another excellent stone offering.